Method and Apparatus for Providing a Container to a Sterile Environment

• US 20160045267A1
• Filed: 10/26/2015
• Published: 02/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Navigation Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Navigation Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Ryterski, Eric, Kendrick, Lance
• Granted Patent: US 10,597,178 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/3015 transparent
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/314 Flexible bags or pouches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 46/10 specially adapted for instruments, e.g. microscopes
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 7/02 Closing containers or receptacles deformed by, or taking-up shape, of, contents, e.g. bags, sacks
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing an unsterilized item to a sterile field is disclosed. The item can include a human input device. The sterile field can be in an operating room.

Claims

1. A method of providing a member to a sterile field in an operating room, comprising:

providing a container operable by a user in an operating room to contain the member;

moving the member into the container;

closing the container to an ambient atmosphere after moving the member into the container; and

using the member to provide input to a system while the member is in the container.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising;

providing a member, including a human input device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein providing a human input device includes providing at least one of a stylus, a mouse, a trackball, a keyboard, a foot pedal, a laser pointer, or combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein closing the container includes substantially sealing an open portion of the container relative to the ambient atmosphere.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein sealing the container includes at least one of adhering a first wall to a second wall with an adhesive, positioning a second wall relative to a first wall with a rail and groove locking system, rolling an open portion of the container upon itself and crimping the rolled portion of the container, providing a two-handed deformable member to crimp an open portion of the container, providing a four-ended deformable member to crimp an open portion of the container, welding two portions of the container together, or combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a first user to move the member into the container and providing a second user to use the member to provide input to a system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a container includes providing a container including a substantially sterile exterior.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a moving system operable to move the member into the container.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the moving system includes a sleeve having a first open end and a second open end and a wall operable to contain the member during moving from an exterior environment to the interior of the container.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a container includes providing a substantially malleable container, providing a substantially stiff container, providing a substantially deformable container, or combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a container includes providing a container formed of a polymer material, providing a container formed of a metal alloy material, providing a container formed of a metal, providing a container formed of a combination of materials.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein moving the member includes moving a substantially non-sterile human input device into the container while maintaining a sterility over the exterior of the container.

13. A method of using an unsterilized human input device with a processor in or near a sterile field comprising:

moving the human input device into a container having a sterile exterior while maintaining the sterility of the exterior of the container;

closing the container to substantially completely contain the human input device within the provided container; and

using the human input device within a sterile field while maintaining the sterile field.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing a human input device, including at least one of a mouse, a stylus, a keyboard, a trackball, a foot pedal, a laser input device, or combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing a processor to receive input from the human input device.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing an input to a processor.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the processor is a part of a navigation system.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising providing the navigation system including providing at least one of an imaging system, a tracking system, a localizer, a surgical instrument, a tracking sensor, a dynamic reference frame, or combinations thereof.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein closing the container includes at least one of folding a portion of a container over itself, sealing two portions of the container relative to one another, moving a rail portion into a trough portion to close an open portion of the container, welding a first portion of the container relative to a second portion of the container, or combinations thereof to substantially seal the container.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein moving the human input device into the container includes passing the human input device through a sterile transport system.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the sterile transport device includes a sleeve, including a first open end and a second open end in a substantial sterile outer wall:

wherein the human input device is moved through the outer wall.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein using the human input device includes selecting a portion on a human readable output device.

23. A method of using a computer assisted surgical navigation system comprising:

using a navigation system to track a tracking sensor;

positioning a human input device in a container to contain the human input device;

maintaining the sterility of an exterior of the container; and

closing the container to an exterior environment.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

closing the container after positioning the human input device within the container in an operating room.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein closing the container includes rolling a portion of the container upon itself, crimping a portion of the container, crimping a member relative to a wall of the container, adhering to portions of the container, moving a bead into a track, or combinations thereof.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising inputting information into the navigation system with the human input device from within the container.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein inputting information includes providing an instruction to the navigation system.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising providing the container including providing at least one of a flexible bag, a malleable container, a stiff container, a transparent container, an opaque container, a semi-transparent container, or combinations thereof.

29. The method of claim 23, further comprising providing the container including providing a container formed of a polymer, an alloy, a metal, a combinations of materials, or a combination thereof.

30. The method of claim 23, further comprising providing the container including providing a container substantially sealable relative to an exterior environment to substantially eliminate the transmission of any portion between an interior of the container and an exterior of the container.

31. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

using the human input device from within the closed container to provide input to the navigation system.

32. The method of claim 23, further comprising providing the navigation system including providing at least one of a tracking sensor, a localization system an imaging system, a processor, a dynamic reference claim, a surgical instrument, a registration system, or combinations thereof.

33. The method of claim 23, wherein positioning the human input device in the container includes moving the human input device through a sterilized member between an exterior environment and an interior environment defined by the container.